Last Chance (DarkWorld: SkinWalker Book 3)

by Ayer, T. G.

  I think I like this new Anjelo.

  “What is this place?” asked Lily as Anjelo dropped our bags on the seat of a very slim wooden chair. Again, furniture designed for Wraiths, chairs for thin, wiry creatures. A shiver ran up my spine at the reminder that I was standing in the middle of a Wraith Rebel compound. But it shouldn’t have been so surprising considering we’d had Wraith company all this time. The guard now stood just inside the doorway, still silent.

  “Outside is the meeting hall where Illyria speaks to the army, and this is the war room where she plans her strategies for each mission.” Anjelo untied the leather strips at his neck and swung the heavy black cloak off his shoulders. He threw it onto the nearest chair, completely unaware that both Lily and I were staring.

  Lily glanced over at me and raised her eyebrows. I raised my own in response, then mouthed, He’s hot, at her. She didn’t seem offended by my observation, just returned her gaze to ogle Anjelo. He wore a close-fitting leather vest that left his taut, bulging biceps bare. Strange snakelike buckles ran down the front of the jacket, holding the thick leather of the front edges together, but just barely. Beneath the garment, his skin was bare, his pecs full and muscular. I didn’t dare look at Lily. Ailuros knew what she was thinking right this minute considering she hadn’t seen Anjelo in months.

  My attention fell on Anjelo’s forearms, which were covered by leather braces imprinted with symbols I’d never seen before. Another reminder of the Wraiths that surrounded us.

  I cleared my throat as Anjelo sank into a chair opposite me. Lily sat too and remained oddly silent. I was pretty sure she had her own problems to deal with. Perfect timing.

  “Lily?”

  “Er… yeah?” she answered, her voice sounding far too throaty for my liking.

  “Why don’t you take our bags and get this nice guard to take you to our rooms?”

  That made Lily turn her full attention on me, although she still had a glazed look to her amber eyes. She hesitated, her mouth opening as if she wanted to protest, but then she stopped and glanced back at Anjelo. Pink bloomed in her cheeks and her gaze settled on me again. I’d probably never know what went through her mind, but she seemed to decide she’d be of no use to any of us panting at the sight of her boyfriend while we talked. She was right.

  “Um… I’ll just… I’ll just go, then. I’ve got to check the weapons,” she muttered as she turned to leave. Anjelo stared after her, frowning as she neared the doorway and spoke to the guard.

  “Was it something I said?” His inquiring expression was somewhere between bemused and confused.

  “More like something you did,” I said with a dry laugh.

  “Eh?”

  I laughed out loud at that. “Anjelo. Have you looked in a mirror lately?”

  “What do you mean?” He touched his shaved jaw and then ran a hand through his curls.

  “I don’t mean shaving and brushing your hair. Have you looked at yourself lately?” I asked as I moved slowly toward him, rounding the table, deliberately letting my gaze run along his muscle-bound arms, his trim waist. When I got behind him and was about to get a full eyeful of shapely ass, he spun around, spluttering.

  “What in Ailuros’s name are you doing?” he hissed, glaring at me, his eyes wide in disbelief at my blatant perusal of his body. He looked about ready to grab the cloak and wrap it around himself. And when he did give the cloak a longing look, I burst out laughing. So hard it brought tears to my eyes.

  “I’m sorry, Anjelo. I could help it.”

  “What couldn’t you help? Staring at my body like I’m a piece of meat?” he asked as if my admiration had been an offense.

  It brought me up, his words. Because guys didn’t usually take it well when they’re on the receiving end of the meat study. “I’m sorry.” The thought sobered me a little. “It’s just the way you took off the cloak… and Lily… She stared so hard…. and…” I could help but burst out laughing again. Anjelo just folded his arms, classic protective stance, and watched me.

  I just laughed some more.

  ***

  Chapter 11

  Anjelo waited patiently while I laughed and wiped at the tears flowing from my eyes. From the tightness of his shoulder muscles, I knew my mirth wasn’t impressing him, but I couldn’t help it. My laughter had to run its course or I knew I’d keep laughing until I was doubled over with a bellyful of pain.

  Anjelo sighed and took a seat as my laughter subsided to a few hiccups and then slowly to nothing.

  At last I was able to breathe evenly, and I glanced up at him and gave him an apologetic shrug. “I’m sorry, Anjelo. It really was funny.”

  “Pity I couldn’t see the joke.” He raised an eyebrow distastefully.

  “It wasn’t really a joke and I certainly wasn’t making fun of you.”

  “Then what exactly was it that made you almost die laughing?” He leaned forward and I could see the tiniest twitch to his lips. He was already seeing the funny side, so I knew I hadn’t mortally offended him.

  “Well, for one thing, you got hot.” He scowled at me, his face going dark. He folded his arms again, only the actions caused his well-shaped biceps to tighten. I pointed at them. “And for another, Lily’s reaction was priceless.”

  “She noticed?” He suddenly looked interested. That was a very good thing.

  I nodded. “Um… If you could call staring at you on the verge of drooling noticed, then yes.” I laughed, feeling the giggles rising again. I took a deep breath and said, “Right, I think we need to get down to business before I start laughing again.”

  Anjelo snorted, then leaned his elbows onto the table.

  I took the chair beside him and shifted it to face him. “So tell me what happened after Greer and I went through the portal. I know I killed Widd’en, but what happened to my mom?”

  He was silent for a moment. Then he took a deep breath and said, “Remember, I was imprisoned somewhere away from the main hall, but I got the information pretty soon. They threw your mom in the cell next to me after you killed Widd’en, and then they left.” Anjelo’s face whitened as he recalled the horror of it all. “I don’t think I need to tell you they were royally pissed off. Without Widd’en running things, his army is a little bit of a mess. And of course, they worshiped him so they weren’t very pleasant to your mother considering her child had killed their master.”

  “Did they hurt her?” He nodded. “Torture?

  “No. They aren’t smart enough to even think of torturing her. They just shoved her around a little, starved her. But she was okay while I was in the cell beside her. I shared all my food with her.”

  Tears filmed my eyes and my gut hurt. “Thank you, Anjelo.”

  “No need to thank me. I would have done it for anyone, but seeing as she was your mother, she was special to me. I couldn’t stand seeing her suffer. I worry every day about her. How she is, if they’re treating her well.” He looked at his hands, his features dark and shadowed with worry.

  I swallowed the lump in my throat and needed to change the topic. Talking about Mom wouldn’t change the fact that she wasn’t here for me to save her. I cleared my throat to loosen the tightness. Then I remembered I’d hit Anjelo pretty hard when Widd’en had taken possession of his body. “Did I hurt you?” I asked.

  “When?” asked Anjelo, brow creasing in confusion.

  “When Widd’en took over your body in the lab. Don’t you remember?”

  “All I recall from Niko’s lab is you and Lily in those glassed-in cells. Then I remember him pumping me with something that made me transform. It was fucking painful.” Anjelo started at his use of profanity, then glanced up guiltily. But I ignored it, didn’t react at all. And he continued. “Then I remembered almost biting Niko, although I don’t recall why I would have done that.”

  I shivered as the memories drifted back. “He provoked you. Used the defibrillator on you to try and control your transformation.”

  “Geez. Good thing Widd’en di
dn’t put me in the same cell as him. I’m sure I would have ripped him to pieces because of what little I did remember. But he disappeared not long after he arrived. Him and Greer. Somehow the both of them ended up locked up beside me.”

  “Yeah, that would be my fault. Mom and I arrived, and Widd’en’s guards caught us. When I saw him, I demanded to know what happened to you and Greer. Niko’s body was brought to the hall and thrown next to the pool. Then Widd’en just kicked him into the flaming water. I guess he wanted shock value, and he succeeded.”

  “So Niko’s dead?” When I nodded, he continued. “I’m sorry, Kai, but I can’t say he didn’t deserve it.”

  “I thought the very same until I learned a little but of information not too long ago about Pariahs.”

  Anjelo’s gaze snapped to my face. “What about Pariahs?” His tone was edged with awareness.

  “According to Grams, there is research to indicate the chemical imbalances that cause a Walker to be Pariah could also have psychological effects. That and the use of the Synthe or any related drug turns the brain to mush.”

  “God, Kai, that must suck. Niko and your sister?” I nodded but couldn’t force a word past my tight throat muscles. “Did Greer make it through the portal safely? Did you find her?”

  I looked at him and was about to ask him how he knew she’d gone through the portal, but I realized he’d said Mom had been in the cell beside him. I shook my head. “I guess I did, but it’s complicated.”

  “That’s bullshit, Kai. I’m not asking for chapter and verse. Just tell me what happened.”

  I raised an eyebrow at his outburst, but I continued. “Widd’en moved the key at the last second, and when Greer jumped, she went straight to the Greylands. When we scryed for her, we found her, but it wasn’t so easy to just go fetch her home. Let’s just say I made it to the Greylands, rid the world of a few dozen creepy demons, and brought Greer home in one piece.”

  “So she’s okay?” He leaned forward.

  When I shook my head, his face fell. “No. Greer’s dead.”

  “What?” He whispered the question, and I knew instinctively that he wasn’t grieving for Greer herself, but for Mom’s loss. Anjelo had known Greer when we were kids, had been on the receiving end of her taunts and bullying. He was the last person I’d expect to shed a tear for my sister. “What happened?”

  “Brand happened.”

  “Brand? Hero’s boss—that drug dealer dude?” Anjelo’s brow furrowed as he stared at me, his expression a study in confusion.

  I realized he’d left before I’d discovered Brand, aka Sully the club owner, was the mastermind drug lord supplying Synthe to the Walker clubbers. “Brand and Sully are one and the same. He owned the club, but he was also distributing Synthe. He got Lily onto the drug in the first place.” I hated to remind him of that, but it was something we needed to talk about. “He was also Pariah, hence the association with Niko. But if that’s not bad enough, here’s the kicker —Brand and Greer were an item.”

  “You’re kidding me, right?” Anjelo was so shocked I’d have forced him to sit if he wasn’t already.

  I shook my head. “I wish I was. Every time I think about it, I wish I could turn back time and make sure Greer never got mixed up with him. He got Greer on Synthe too.”

  “So what happened to Greer when you brought her back form the Greylands?”

  “The Death-talker was convinced Greer was having mental difficulties, and that was true. She seemed to have lost it a bit while she was there. But when she got home, she played us all. Pretended to be on the mend and wanting to do everything right. But the next thing we know, she’s run off with Brand. Long story short, I fought Brand, Greer got in the way, and Brand accidentally slashed her throat open.”

  “Shit.” Anjelo rested his head in his hands, then ran his fingers through is hair. “Man. That totally sucks. Your mom was always talking about the two of you and how she couldn’t wait to see you again.”

  I sighed. “To be honest, I’m not sure I want to see my mom.”

  “Why the hell not?”

  “Because I didn’t save Greer. I brought home her daughter only for her to die in my arms. Some sister I am.”

  “Kai, you’re priceless.” Anjelo snorted and shook his head at me.

  “What did I do now?” I asked, confused by his criticism.

  “You saved Greer. You did what you could. The last thing your mother would do is hold you responsible for Greer’s decisions and actions. Greer was a big girl, in case you didn’t notice. And not that Celeste didn’t know exactly what she was dealing with when it came to her daughters.”

  I watched Anjelo as he spoke. I’d missed him all these weeks, and hearing him say those words was exactly what I’d needed. I sighed. “Right, back to Widd’en?”

  “Okay, right,” Anjelo said as he stared off into space, filtering through the memories. “Celeste was in the cell next to me for a few days. Then something happened. Lots of activity, as if the whole army were moving out. In the middle of all their moving, Illyria’s army attacked. They flooded the tunnels and almost overran Widd’en’s troops. But it wasn’t enough. Widd’en’s men managed to grab your mother, but they were interrupted as they headed to my cell. That’s how I was saved. Only because they left me behind.” Anjelo laughed in a self-deprecating way that I didn’t like very much.

  “So Illyria and her team have been tracking Widd’en’s army?”

  Anjelo nodded. “The last known sighting was on the grounds of an abandoned castle out west. We raided the place, but again, we were too late.” His frustration was clear as he fisted both hands.

  I frowned. “How often has that happened?”

  “Too often for it to be a coincidence. We’re always getting there a little too late or not quite on time. There are times we arrive and the place is deserted. And others when we end up catching stragglers because the army had only just relocated themselves.”

  “Any idea where they are right now?” I asked.

  “Not yet. We’re still waiting on the intel.”

  I sighed, suddenly exhausted after the rehash of everything I’d been through in the last few weeks.

  Anjelo’s eyes widened in concern. “Are you all right? Do you need to rest?”

  “No. It’s just that I realized how much we’ve all been through in the last couple months. It’s a wonder we’ve all survived at all.”

  “I think we’ve all avoided the clutches of death on the odd occasion,” he said dryly.

  “You can say that again.” I laughed. Then I grew serious as I remembered what I wanted to ask Anjelo. “Now tell me what the story is with your Rebel leader. Do you two have something going on?”

  “No.” Anjelo seemed affronted by the question as he raised his hands, waving off my words. “No, its nothing like that.”

  “Then tell me what it is, because soon, I won’t be the only one to notice you watch her all the time.”

  “Look, you have to understand something. Illyria is a female Wraith—”

  “Got that part.” I nodded and sat back.

  Anjelo glared at me, then continued. “Females here aren’t exactly trusted within any army. The king’s army in Wrythiin refuses to allow women in their ranks, so it’s hard enough having her as part of the Rebel army, let alone at the helm.” He paused as I nodded, understanding the mechanics of the oppression of female rights. “But with Illyria, sometimes I’m not so sure. She’s strong and smart and powerful, but sometimes for her it’s never enough.”

  “And you’re wondering how far she would go to prove herself as a capable leader?” I asked.

  “Yeah, something like that.” Anjelo nodded, then stared at the table. “So I keep a closer eye on her than I probably should.”

  “Well, we don’t have to concern ourselves with them too much longer. Once we have Mom, we can go back home.” I watched his expression in case I saw something that would make me suspect he had no intention of returning home with us. But all
he did was nod and look eager enough at the sound of home. “Now, I have one more request.”

  “Which is?”

  I got to my feet and said, “Take me to your leader.”

  ***

  Chapter 12

  Not much later, Anjelo walked me to a small room a few doors down from the hall we’d occupied. He knocked and entered without waiting for an answer. I waited in the passage.

  “Illyria, Kai has a moment to speak to you if you have time?” he asked, so polite and so precise. It looked like they stood on ceremony here in the Wraith dimension.

  A chair scraped and Illyria spoke. “Please ask her to enter. She is most welcome here.”

  At that, I entered the room without waiting for Anjelo to summon me. The Rebel leader smiled and waved at one of the three empty chairs in front of her work desk.

  I chose one and Anjelo turned and left the room without waiting to see if I needed him. Although I was slightly annoyed, I tried to put it out of my mind. I turned my attention to my hostess. In this room, now well lit by dozens of candles squished down in melted wax and placed over every available surface, I was given the full effect of the Rebel leader’s looks. And I had to admit that even for a Wraith female, she looked pretty good.

  “What would you like to talk about?” I asked more as a way to get her started. She’d already indicated the subject of this discussion, but I didn’t want to wait for things to get awkward.

  “Anjelo tells me you are a Skinwalker just like him?”

  I nodded, not sure how this was relevant.

  “And in addition, you are his alpha?”

  I laughed. “Only by Anjelo’s own choice. I am part of the ruling alpha family of my clan, but it is my father who is the alpha leader. Anjelo and I relocated to Chicago some time ago, and he has looked up to me in many ways. He decided I was his alpha, and I didn’t have the heart to divest him of the idea.”

  I was beginning to wonder where this conversation was headed when Illyria leaned forward, an intense expression filling her eyes. “Now tell me about this ability you have. This golden glow that helps you kill Wraiths.”